The Faculty of Humanities of the University of Primorska, in partnership with the Škocjan Caves Park, has obtained the “UNESCO CHAIR OF INTERPRETATION AND EDUCATION FOR ENHANCING INTEGRATED HERITAGE APPROACHES”.

SLO – UNESCO Chair in Interpretation and Education for the Promotion of Integrated Approaches to Heritage In August 2021, the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris approved the establishment of a new UNESCO Chair at UP FHŠ.

The Chair fills a gap in the existing UNESCO Chairs around the world, recognising that the key to sustainable heritage management lies in interpretation and education through integrated heritage approaches. Professional trends point to the need for an inclusive approach to the management of cultural and natural heritage. The guiding principle is participatory and “values-based” approaches that can achieve integrated and sustainable management of both natural and cultural heritage through community involvement. The activities of the Chair are based on the internationally renowned International Summer School of Museology and other educational and research activities of UP FHŠ in intertwined with the activities of Slovenia’s oldest UNESCO site – the Škocjan Caves Park (SCP). In terms of scientific disciplines, the Chair covers heritage studies, anthropology and cultural studies, archaeology, geography, history, intercultural studies, management and biology.

As the core of an international network for collaborative research projects and as an educational platform, the Chair, starting from the different discourses addressed by the research of the FHS and the activities of the PSJ, will develop approaches and skills for the interpretation and education of heritage in a holistic perspective, in order to go beyond the artificial divisions of heritage (natural/cultural; material/non-material; authorised/alternative heritage discourse, etc. ). Through innovative ways of education (for students and the general public), the Chair aims to transcend stereotypical divisions between nature and culture, nations and ethnicities, professional sectors dealing with heritage, etc. , and to promote inclusion, cooperation, awareness, empathy and peace. The main objective is to develop interpretation and education for professionals and the general public in the context of an integrated approach to heritage.

OUR GOALS

The specific objectives of the Chair are:

• to develop forms of interpretation that transcend stereotypical divisions in the heritage field;
• promote new approaches to heritage management, conservation and promotion through participation and the integration of traditional knowledge into development strategies;
• actively participate in the implementation and definition of new guidelines and policies in the field of heritage conservation, protection and monitoring, with a focus on conflict prevention and sustainable development;
• knowledge transfer through international and cross-border applied and research projects.

The Head of the Chair is the Dean of UP FHŠ, Prof. dr. Irena Lazar, in its conception also participated Assist. Prof. Dr. Neža Čebron Lipovec, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Katja Hrobat Virloget, Assist. Prof. Dr. Zrinka Mileusnić and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Alenka Tomaž (from the Department of Archaeology and Heritage and the Department of Anthropology and Cultural Studies), in cooperation with Škocjan Caves Park.The creation of the Chair has been supported by 30 renowned national and international institutions from around the world, ranging from universities, existing UNESCO Chairs and professional associations.

REPORT ON OPERATIONS

The UNESCO Chair in Interpretation and Education for the Promotion of Integrated Approaches to Heritage, which has been operating since November 2021 within the University of Primorska, completed its first year of active and varied activities in 2022. We have established cooperation with several UNESCO Chairs working in related fields, UNESCO schools across Slovenia, we have intensively collaborated with the UNESCO Venice Office and their activities, we are planning an international conference with Interpret Europe to be held in Romania in May 2023, and we have joined the Unitwin network World Heritage and Tourism. In 2023, the Faculty of Humanities, with the cooperation of the UNESCO Chair, will offer for the first time a study programme on Cultural Heritage in English.

• In March, we hosted Dr Kathrin Pabst, who works on problematic and silenced heritage, for two lectures on 3 and 10 March 2022. In the first lecture “Let Them Finally Be Heard!” How Integrating a Multiplicity of Voices May Lead to More Inclusive, Peaceful and Sustainable Societies”, she spoke about how listening to all voices leads to more inclusive, peaceful and sustainable societies, followed by “Many considerations to make – many needs to balance”. Moral challenges professionals could face when working with contested or sensitive histories and how to address them, and the challenges for researchers working with sensitive heritage.
• The 14th edition of the Festival will take place in Koper in the first week of September, from 5 to 9 September 2022. International Summer School of Museology. Lectures and workshops on the theme The Power of Museums brought together a number of national and international speakers and 30 participants from Slovenia and abroad.
• This was followed by the International Workshop on Participatory Approaches to the Conservation of Built Heritage, hosted by Dr Setha Low from the USA, which took place from 21 to 27 September 2022. The workshop, which included lectures, field visits and evaluations, focused on ethnological-anthropological methods for the conservation of built heritage.
• At the invitation of UNESCO, the Chair attended the MONDIACULT World Conference (28-30 September 2022) in Mexico City, Mexico.

Dr Irena Lazar summarised her thoughts during her visit to the conference, “The conference addressed and raised many issues of culture and cultural policies, including the importance of integrating cultural heritage into the curricula of education at all levels, including in the process of lifelong learning. This is particularly important for our UNESCO Chair and for UP FHŠ, as we are working in this field and it confirms our orientations. Culture as a common public good must be accessible to all, and this is where the involvement of the local community comes into play. This is how we build a relationship with and respect for culture and heritage.“

At the end of the conference, participants adopted a new cultural policy agenda that had been developed during the conference, aiming to build a stronger and more resilient cultural sector, fully anchored in the perspectives of sustainable development and the promotion of solidarity, peace and security.

BULLETIN OF THE SLOVENE NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR UNESCO